Letter from John Adams to Jeremy Belknap, 22 October 1795

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25.2 cm x 20.5 cm

From the Jeremy Belknap papers

page:

Inclosed is the Letter of
Dr. Tucker. -- If I should
agree with him in his Maxim Fiat Justitia ruat Coelum
the question would still remain what is Justice.
Justice to the Negroes would require that they should
not be abandoned by their Masters and turned loose
upon a World in which they have no Capacity to
procure even a Subsistence. What would become of the
old,? the young? the infirm? Justice to the World too
would forbid that such Numbers should be turn'd out
to live by Violence or Theft or fraud.

I believe no better Expedient will be found
than to prohibit the Importation of new Negroes, and
Soften the Severity of the Condition of old ones, as
much as possible, until the increasing Population of
the Country shall have multiplied the Whites to such
a Superiority of Numbers, that the Blacks may be
liberated by Degrees, with the Consent both of Master and
Servant.